Nine percent of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder (ED) in their lifetime and eating disorders have the second-highest mortality rate among mental health conditions.
One person dies from an eating disorder every 52 minutes, yet many are unaware of the barriers that can prevent recovery, including a lack of understanding about eating disorders and their impact.*
Stigma is a significant barrier for people experiencing eating disorders and prevents them from seeking essential treatment. Intense shame or guilt, fear of being judged and perfectionism are common experiences.
According to NAMI, eating disorders are a group of related conditions that cause serious emotional and physical problems. Each condition involves extreme food and weight issues; yet each has unique symptoms that separate it from the others.
*National Eating Disorders Association
Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025
February 24 – March 2
to increase understanding about eating disorders and their impact
The Anti-Stigma Coalition will host a Facebook Live on February 19 at noon to dispel myths surrounding eating disorders and share how we can all work to eliminate stigma. Panelists are Rachael Michelle Morales, parent peer mentor, WNY Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders (WNYCCCED), Rachael Snyder, who is in remission from an eating disorder, Stacey Schmid LMHC, manager of clinical services, Jewish Family Services and Danielle Vallas, clinician.
Vallas says there is stigma around eating disorders.
“I believe people think people with EDs are choosing to be sick and that is all about having the perfect body,” she said. “Although there is often a body image component to EDs, EDs are more complex and often are rooted in other mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and trauma.”
One Local Woman’s Journey
Rachael Snyder was in high school when she was diagnosed as having restrictive anorexia nervosa.
“I spent about a year becoming increasingly restrictive about my diet, until I lost enough weight that it began to affect my cognitive abilities,” she said. “After being initially placed in a psych ward, I was transferred to the hospital. Once my vitals had improved, I spent about a month in an in-patient treatment program, then continued treatment of medication and therapy.”
She managed residual ED struggles into her early 20s.
Regarding stigma, Snyder feels there was more stigma surrounding the underlying reasons she developed an eating disorder rather than the disorder itself. She has also been diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
“I attended high school in the mid-2000s, when I was praised for losing weight and being ‘skinny’ by my peers,” she said. “Adults were concerned about my behavior, but I don’t think they knew how to talk to me about it effectively.
“Telling someone in the throes of an eating disorder to ‘eat more’ seems like a straightforward answer to the problem, but it pushes the individual with ED away. In the way that I felt like no one understood me, there was a certain stigmatizing feel to it.”
According to Snyder, her family was understandably very concerned, but she often felt alone and defensive when they commented on their concerns.
“Combined with positive feedback from friends, and the cultural messaging marketed toward women in those days, this made seeking help almost undesirable,” she said.
My family was understandably very concerned, but I often felt alone and defensive when they commented on their concerns. Combined with positive feedback from friends and the cultural messaging marketed toward women in those days, this made seeking help almost undesirable.”
Rachael Snyder
In remission from an eating disorder
What are eating disorders?
According to the National Institute of Health, there are several types of eating disorders – anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
- People with anorexia nervosa severely avoid or restrict food intake due to a distorted self-image or an intense fear of gaining weight.
- People with binge-eating disorder regularly lose control of their eating and eat unusually large amounts of food.
- People with bulimia nervosa regularly binge eat and then engage in unhealthy behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as forced vomiting or the use of laxatives.
- People with ARFID limit the amount and variety of food they eat due to their anxiety or fear of the consequences of eating or dislike of a food’s characteristics.
According to Danielle Vallas, there are many misconceptions about eating disorders. EDs do not discriminate, and they impact people of all sizes/weights, genders, ages, race and sexual orientations.
“EDs are all about food but not about food at all. They are both physical and psychological,” she said. “They help the person cope with emotions and difficult things in their life.
“When working with a client with an ED, we focus on food, but we really focus on the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that impact their relationship with food, exercise, and body.”
There is a lot of misinformation and lack of information about EDs which often leaves people suffering in silence. In addition, diet culture that focuses on weight loss and diets “normalizes” behaviors that can lead to the development of EDs or make EDs more severe.”
Danielle Vallas
Clinician
Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders
A person may:
- Have a preoccupation with weight loss, food, calories, and dieting
- Refuse to eat certain foods, and often eliminates whole food groups (carbohydrates, fats, etc.)
- Make excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food
- Develop food rituals (e.g., eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate)
- Withdraw from friends and previously pleasurable activities and becomes more isolated and secretive
- Have extreme concern with body size and shape
- Frequently checking in the mirror for perceived flaws in appearance
- Experience extreme mood swings
NEDA National Eating Disorders Association
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1-800-662-4357 (or 1-800-487-4889 for TTY).
